Source: Shirley Watkins’ KWVets Onelist.Com

November 28, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release #99-115

November 23,
1999

As part of the Army’s ongoing effort to conduct a full
and comprehensive review of the Nogun-ri bridge incident, the Secretary of the
Army, Louis Caldera, has approved a four-phase plan that will ultimately lead
to a written report for public release.The approved plan incorporates the following phases: Phase I –
Preparation; Phase II – Research and Reviews; Phase III – Review and Analysis;
and Phase IV – Final Report.

"Your task is
to ensure that the review is thorough and pursues every reasonable lead to
enable us to determine the facts as quickly and accurately as possible,"
Caldera wrote in the directive to Lt. Gen. Michael Ackerman, the Army’s
Inspector General and head of the IG Review Team charged with implementing the
plan.

"Though the
review process is complex, our charter is relatively simple:To determine the facts of what happened at
the Nogun-ri bridge, no matter where they may lead, and to cooperate fully
with our counterparts from the Republic of Korea" Ackerman said.

Work has been
underway on the Plan’s first two phases since late September, and formal
bilateral coordination with the Republic
of Korea commenced
with the recent trip to Korea
by Ackerman and members of the IG Review Team.

To further its
review, the Army has established a web site and a toll free telephone number to
enable those with information about the Nogun-ri bridge incident to provide it
directly to the Army’s Office of the Inspector General."The website and toll free phone number are
excellent avenues for Korean War veterans and others to tell us what they
know," Ackerman said.

All persons with information on the Nogun-ri
bridge incident, especially Korean War veterans who served with the 1st
Cavalry Division in late July 1950, are encouraged to use the website and
toll-free number to communicate with the review team.The toll-free phone number is
1-877-379-5595.This line is staffed
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time,
Monday-Friday.Callers can leave a
recorded message after hours and the call will be returned the next business
day.Callers can also use this number to
fax information 24 hours a day.

To get to the
Nogun-ri website, click the Nogun-ri website link on
the Army homepage (www.army.mil).In addition, information can be e-mailed
directly to the Office of the Inspector General through this link.Information can also be mailed to: Department
of the Army, Office of the Inspector General, Attn: Nogun-ri Review, 1700 Army
Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310-1700.

The IG Review
Team’s efforts will culminate in a final written report that the Secretary of
the Army will forward to the Secretary of Defense for approval and public
release.During the course of the
review, the IG Review Team will report to Patrick T. Henry, Assistant Secretary
of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, whom Caldera appointed as his
senior representative to oversee the Team’s efforts.Henry also serves as the Secretary’s
representative on the Department of Defense Steering Group for this matter appointed
by the Secretary of Defense, William Cohen.The Steering Group is coordinating the work of the review and ensuring
that the full resources of the entire Department are brought to bear on the
complex issues raised by the Nogun-ri bridge incident.Additionally, Cohen has invited the assistance
of eight outside experts, who are providing advice and guidance on the
review.

The IG Review
Team has been periodically updating the Steering Group and the outside experts
in addition to sharing information with the Republic of Korea.For more information, please contact the
Media Relations Division, Army Public Affairs, at 703-697-7589.